Hou Yongqing, deputy co-operating officer of TSMC and chairman of the Taiwan Semiconductor Association, said that in the face of 2025, which is full of challenges and changes, Taiwan's semiconductor industry has still delivered a "very beautiful report card" under the dual pressure of industrial instability and geopolitics. Taiwan still maintains its leading position in the world in the field of wafer foundry manufacturing, and its design industry maintains its second place in the world. It is expected that by the end of 2025, the output value of Taiwan's semiconductor industry will reach NT$6.5 trillion, with an annual growth rate of 2.2%.

Hou Yongqing emphasized at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Taiwan Semiconductor Association that when geopolitical and market uncertainties will still exist in the future, the only way for Taiwan's semiconductor industry to respond is to "make us stronger and bigger" so that it can have more say when facing challenges.

Hou Yongqing pointed out that in order to cope with future development, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry will focus on the following key directions, including:

1. Increase investment in new technology research and development: We must deepen the research and development of new technologies, especially in the development of advanced processes, advanced packaging, integrated new materials, and AI chips. The association believes that only by making technology more cutting-edge and superior can we have more opportunities and say at technological turning points.

2. Expand and strengthen the ecological chain: The goal is to make the semiconductor ecological chain bigger and stronger, and achieve a status that "cannot be replaced". Based on this foundation, the Semiconductor Industry Association specially established an equipment committee last year to expand the entire ecological chain from the current scope to advanced equipment and key lord stores (supply chain), in order to make the overall ecology stronger.

3. International cooperation and global localization: Taiwan’s semiconductor industry continues to deepen cooperation with global partners and foreign partners, introducing them into Taiwan’s ecological chain, thereby expanding the scale of the industry. As of the end of 2024, under this strategy, more than 40 foreign partners have established R&D centers, operations centers or material centers in Taiwan.

4. Strengthen international integration: The association is committed to providing assistance in business and regulations to make it easier for international partners to complete indispensable integration in Taiwan, which will be of great help to Taiwan's future development.

5. Global localization response: In response to the requirements of countries around the world for localization and ecological chain resilience, Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Corporation has conducted different forms of activities or investments in 15 countries. This not only responds to the needs of customers and the market, but also demonstrates the key role Taiwan's industry plays in the world.

Hou Yongqing further pointed out that looking into the future, it is necessary to gather the power of industry and academic predecessors to jointly promote the continued progress of the global semiconductor industry.